Thursday, 30 June 2011

This was waiting for me this afternoon when I got home from the school run. Pretty exciting, huh? Thank you Christine! It's so sweet! I'm so glad it came today, because the end of that school run marks the beginning of the school holidays for us. Miss 14 has school tomorrow, but won't be going because we will be on our way to Adelaide. She to visit and stay with one of her sisters and me to Inspired Stitches (A great weekend!) and then I'll be staying with another of the girls. Anyway, must go pack!

Tuesday, 28 June 2011

I felt a need to go look at the ocean on Sunday. Well, I felt over everything and wanted to go to Glenelg North to sit on a park bench in front of the sea. That always makes me feel better. Of course, seeing as Glenelg North is a suburb of Adelaide and I live in Melbourne now, I had to make do. There were no park benches and being out of the car was freezing. (I know that the weather forecast map often states similar temperatures for Adelaide and Melbourne, but I am here to tell you that, map schmap, Melbourne is waaay colder. Not sure how that works, but it is true.) I took my camera with me and this is what I saw. Still feel pretty much over everything as you may have noticed since it took me two days to blog this. Bad news yesterday and again today (small, insignificant things in the scheme of things I guess) have kept me over everything. I think I need to make something!

Saturday, 25 June 2011

I sent off my second doll quilt for Christine's doll quilt swap this week. My partner was Christine (a different one!) and you can check her out here. I decided to make it from half square triangles, (I'm sure I owe that to you Katherine!) and whilst it's not perfect, I was pretty happy with how it turned out. The squares are 1" and the borders around the quilt are 1/2" wide.

As you can see, I remembered to photograph it this time! (I felt really smart.) I used a charm pack to make the quilt. I had never considered doing that before for a doll quilt, but was really pleased with the result. It looks very scrappy and has lots of different fabrics in it, a look I adore. It meant I had to piece the back, but that's a look I love too! So all round I pretty much loved, loved, loved this quilt right up until the moment I sent it to Christine. She has received it and likes it too. Mine will be here next week and I am intrigued as to what it will be like!

Friday, 24 June 2011

I am joining in with Shay's "Favourite Things Friday" today. I often think about joining in, but today I have to decided to be all about action, not thinking! So, what of my many favourite things am I going to share with you? (I really do have many favourite things. That's a little bit heartwarming to know I am so very privileged and live such a great life!) Well, it's a touch jumping the gun, but I am thrilled to be going to "Inspired Stitches" next weekend in Adelaide.

It is run by Sarah of Quilt Fabric Delights and I always have such a great time. You can see what I made last year. The year before I didn't finish anything, so I'm pretty proud of that tiny little iPhone cover! You can read about my Inspired Stitches exploits here, and here. So next week I will be off to Adelaide to stitch and catch up with all my Adelaide kids!

iPhone Update: It's working! (For no apparent reason, if you are techno-savvy. I am not, and have the perfect explaination.) Now before you techno-savvy readers get all knowing about what happened I must let you know that the very savvy Bradley and the phone shop dude both checked the phone out and it was definitely dead. D. E. A. D. Dead. So much so that we bought a very cheap phone to put my simcard in. As I was about to transfer the simcard when we got home I figured I would have one last go, and it turned on! This phenomena has been witnessed before at my house with various other pieces of electronic equipment. I call it the "tired" effect. Sometimes when a dvd player would stop working I would declare that it was tired and put it in a cupboard for a little rest. (See, it makes no sense if you are techno-savvy, but fortunately I don't understand how these things work!) Which is what I did with my phone. Why wouldn't my phone be tired? I use it a lot! So, into the cupboard it went and now it is working perfectly. Actually, feeling a little tired myself. Where is that cupboard?

Wednesday, 22 June 2011

This little bird meets his maker. My son, Mr 17. He crafted this little guy for his nephew and the bird is winging his way to Adelaide as we speak to be cuddled by said nephew, hopefully sometime tomorrow. I have been sewing and sewing the past few days, but have no photos to show. I am covered in fluff and thread though and have been having a great time. Back tomorrow with photos! (Oh. And an iPhone update.)

Monday, 20 June 2011

I know. Oops is not a good title for a post with an iPhone photo in it. Regular readers will remember that I killed an iPhone last year (read about it here if you want to be amused!) which I'm still trying to live down. Last night I was just checking Twitter before rolling over and going to sleep and was most excited to read that coco (the footy tipping guinea pig) had mentioned me in a tweet. (This will mean nothing if you are not from South Australia, and will possibly still be unintelligible even if you are!) After telling my Bradley the whole story I turned the screen off and that was it. One dead iPhone. Can't turn it on any more. Some of the more charitable children pointed out that this could hardly have been my fault (unlike the one I took swimming with me), whilst the diehard mother-mockers are bemoaning such a waste of technology on someone with such an obvious plan to rid the world of iPhones.

As for me, I am really sad. I really loved my iPhones (both of them) and I miss them terribly. Most of all though, I miss all you guys "out there" in my virtual world. It was so easy to be updated by my iPhone. Not so easy when I have to find a computer!

This is the result of my secret sewing I mentioned a week or so ago. It is an across the body bag I made for my daughter's birthday. (Miss 20 is now Miss 21. Gosh time flies!!!) She doesn't have it yet, but it is on it's way so I thought I would show it to you.

I used about 5 or 6 pieces from a layer cake. (This is homecoming) I am really quite pleased with it.

I put the words on here because my daughter's hometown is printed on them. (See the "Adelaide" on the top row!)

This is the back and then the inside is below. A pocket for a mobile phone and a zipped pocket are essentials in every bag I make. I hope she likes it!

Saturday, 18 June 2011

It's interesting just how children have favourites, even amongst their families. Granddaughter is quite fond of her uncle, my Mr 10. This is them last weekend.

I had an early start to the day today which has put me in a contemplative mood I think. My world is very quiet at 5am on a Saturday morning. I managed to do some sewing which I really enjoyed. I didn't manage to finish anything today, but did manage to start something new. (How did that happen?) Maybe it's just because there are so many ideas in my head fighting to get out. Or maybe I'm really flighty and not that good at concentrating! Today I was working on putting my blue/green Tis the Season quilt top together, making a table runner with some of my red Tis the Season blocks, and I started some new half square triangles which I am not sure of right now, but which will end up going somewhere I am sure.

I also got some more fabric this morning. (Hooray! Just the one I was looking for!) And a charm pack. (Hence the new project!) After the lovely lot of sewing I did today I am looking forward to spending some time tomorrow sewing, but first I need to get some sleep!

We have had a slow week here. My Bradley and I were discussing it last night. He believes it is the result of spending last weekend with so many of our awesome favourite people (our kids!) and then their departures back to their own lives and city. It could be that. It could also be the fact that every girl in this house had PMS this week. Or a bit of both. Maybe it was the migraines. Anyway, it was a slow week.

I managed to finish the stitching for my second TTS (Some are in the photo above with the fabric I am using.) and started to border the redwork squares. I promptly ran out of fabric (Not sure what I was thinking when I bought that fabric!) and so am hoping to find some more at Foothills Fabric and Threads this morning. (Cross your fingers for me!) Off to get ready and hit the fabric shop!

Saturday, 11 June 2011

... which makes this weekend sound boring and tedious, but it is anything but. We are celebrating the Queen's birthday this weekend with a public holiday Monday. Picklesticks decided to come to Melbourne for the long weekend with grandson and granddaughter. They arrived with Miss 24 on Thursday. Then the early hours of this morning saw Mr 22 and his bride arrive with Miss 19 along for the ride. So almost everyone is here visiting with us this weekend. I made pasties (Veggie pasties and lamb and carrot pasties) for dinner. Haven't made so many pasties for a long time!

Wednesday, 8 June 2011

I have been playing with fabric today. Hometown by Sweet Water actually. I just love it. I have been making something hush, hush (can't show you cause she reads my blog!) which has to be finished tomorrow. We'll see!

I also found out today that several of our kids are road tripping it to our house this weekend. Two groups of them independent of each other! We will have a house full on the weekend, but will have a blast I'm sure! Off to bed now so that I can sew happily tomorrow!

Tuesday, 7 June 2011

I have been stitching! I packed my second Tis the Season up and took it to Adelaide in case I had some time in between playing with the grandchildren and the children. I traced it out months ago, but I think I was all TTSed out. I stitched a couple of these in Adelaide last week and I am in love with it all over again. Plus, it is cold and raining here so the attraction of the heater and my stitching is mighty strong. Not much else is happening here. I did stick some pins into my new pincushion. And wrote a list or two. And went out a lot to do the chores and errands that pile up when you go away for the week. Hopefully tomorrow I will have a day at home with my sewing machine!

Sunday, 5 June 2011

My boys and I drove home to Melbourne from Adelaide on Friday. I am getting to know that road really well. Most of the day was sunny, with a little rain around Bordertown SA. I spent yesterday recovering. I find there's nothing like sitting doing nothing in a car to make you tired!

I came home from Adelaide with a new pincushion. A Bliss pincushion in fact that picklesticks made for me. It is heavenly. Number one because I just love Bliss. Number two because she always makes such pretty things. And number three because I didn't have one! Miss 24 went to Adelaide to visit under her own steam and when picklesticks professed a desire to make a pincushion Miss 24 encouraged her to make one for me because I keep knocking my pin tin off the table! (I know! Who knew I was so clumsy, but I am!) I don't know whether I will continually knock the pincushion off the table, but I know if I do it will be a lot easier to pick up!

Wednesday, 1 June 2011

Yesterday was my first trip to the new (old) Patchwork Apple. Living in Melbourne now would have something to do with that. Jane shut her shop in Woodside in February and has moved it to her home on Tiers Road Lenswood where she is open two days a week, Tuesday and Wednesday, from 9:30am to 6pm. The path above is the path to her shop. This is where the Patchwork Apple started out 17 years ago and where I used to visit Jane regularly all that time ago! Jane and I marvelled that it was so long ago! The first time I walked this path I was carrying my tiny little son (now 6'4") and yesterday I carried my tiny little granddaughter. Then, just as we were leaving, Jane's tiny little granddaughter arrived with her Mummy! Gosh time flies.

This is the door of the new shop. Jane (and her able-bodied helpers) has built a new shop on the side of her house. In true Jane style it is very pretty. (She has such a talent for making everything look beautiful!) Lots of windows too - light is so important!

A peek into the shop. Picklesticks and I managed to have a lovely time looking at all Jane's fabrics and even managed to buy some to take home with us!

Oh. And it's June. Ready or not, it's June. Goals for this month? To sew clothes and finish off a couple of quilts. And I want to stitch. Do-able? I think so!